


All Saint's Day

by punkhalfwerewolf



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Marauders era, Sad, jily death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-31
Updated: 2014-10-31
Packaged: 2018-02-23 08:16:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2540753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/punkhalfwerewolf/pseuds/punkhalfwerewolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Remus awakens to terrible news on November 1st, 1981.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All Saint's Day

1981 was a lonely year for Remus Lupin. The war was in full blast; there was no need for a werewolf in the scheme of things. Even his friends, those who had stuck by him when nobody else would, were scarcely with him lately. He knew constant companionship wouldn’t last long.   
Nowadays, Remus had taken to living in the spare rooms at the Leaky Cauldron. He often saw Sirius, but it had been a while since he had met up with Peter or James. As Remus awake on November 1st, the atmosphere felt different. The noise level of the pub below him was strangely louder than it had ever been the past few months. Remus got out of bed, got dressed, and headed down to investigate the cause of such noises. 

The pub was filled to the brim. He couldn’t recall the last time so many people had been out in place, without any caution. This was the first time since leaving Hogwarts that he had seen so many people with genuine smiles on their faces. Remus merely stared at the sight in front of him. He had never imagined there could be an end to all the grief everyone had been filled with.   
Snapping out of his stupor, Remus approached a group of especially gleeful wizards near the front of the pub, “What the cause for this celebration?”

“You mean you haven’t heard?” one of the wizards, who was tall and had particularly red cheeks, answered as he almost spit his drink out. “Why, You-Know-Who was taken down last night!”  
Remus immediately burst into a smile. This is the new he had been waiting for since he had first heard of Voldemort. Such news gave him hope in dark times. 

“By a child no less!” the man went on. This grasped Remus’ attention again. How could it be that the most powerful wizard of the time could be taken down by a child when so many talented and able wizards and witches had died trying to accomplish the same feat? There was no way. 

“Who was it?” Remus asked, curious as to how such power could be contained in a child. 

“Henry? Howard? Lynn, what was his name again?” the wizard turned to the woman next to him with a questioning look. 

“Harry Potter! The Boy Who Lived!” She cried out with enthusiasm. 

Remus’ grin was wiped off his face. His face paled as he tried to decipher the words he had just heard. 

“You don’t mean James and Lily Potter’s son?” Remus asked, hoping that there was some chance that they were talking about some other Harry. Some other Potter who had faced the Dark Lord. 

“Yes, it is quite sad what happened to them” the woman, Lynn, mused before turning back to her drink. 

Remus’ mind was racing. The obvious conclusion to her statement was that something horrible had happened to his dear friends. But that couldn’t be. It was James and Lily, some of the strongest wizards he knew. How could Harry, who was barely one year old, take down the most dangerous wizard? 

Tears were already welling in Remus’ eyes as he tried to get out the next few words, “What happened to James and Lily?” 

“They died fending off You-Know-Who, yet their child lived and is unharmed,” the man explained, clearly confounded by the story. 

Tears were now freely streaming down Remus’ face. Why did they have to die? They had just begun a family and had so much to look for. Why couldn’t it have been him? James had sacrificed so much for him, along with the other Marauders, what did Remus do to deserve any of it? Even Lily never even thought of judging Remus for his “furry little problem”, as the Marauders used to call it. Why did the good always have to die so young? 

“Remus, Dumbledore’s here. He wants to have a word with you in the back room,” Tom, one of the workers, informed him as he served orders. 

Remus wordlessly made his way over to the room. Part of him was glad Dumbledore was here, for it meant he would more or less be getting some answers. However, part of him was worried this would only bear even worse news. 

“Ah Mr. Lupin, it is a pleasure to see you,” Dumbledore began slowly as Remus reluctantly took a seat in front of him. “I see you’ve heard the news.” Dumbledore’s voice was grave. 

“I have,” Remus quietly stated. 

“I’m afraid I have more bad news,” Dumbledore began. Remus couldn’t bring himself to look up. What could be worse than two of your closest friends being murdered? “Peter Pettigrew is dead and Sirius Black has been taken to Azkaban for the charge of the murders of Mr. Pettigrew and twelve juggles.”

Remus was shocked. Words couldn’t describe his emotions. His grief had multiplied ten-fold. In less than twenty-four hours Remus had lost all the people who had ever cared for him. In the blink of an eye all the people Remus held close to his heart were gone, cruelly taken from him. 

“What about Harry?” Remus curiously asked, hoping that at least he was ok. 

“I have arranged for him to live with his aunt and uncle, so he is in safe hands,” Dumbledore answered. “Now Remus, I understand that this is a lot of information to take in, and I just want you to know that Hogwarts is still open to you, if you ever need any aid. We have a few positions open if you would like to take on the job.”

Remus pondered this option. It was true that financially, Remus wasn’t in the best position, but could he face being in those halls again? Could he stand to spend a year there, in a place where there were constant reminders of his friends? The answer was no. There was no way Remus could revisit his former home, the very place where he had met his friends and evolved into the Marauders. Not now. Not so soon. 

“I can’t,” Remus replied, trying to keep his emotions at bay. 

“I understand,” Dumbledore said, “but please if you ever do need anything do not hesitate to ask.”

“Thank you,” Remus said, shaking Dumbledore’s hand as they both stood up to leave. 

For Remus Lupin 1981 had been lonely, but nothing compared to the complete despair he was thrown into now. All he wanted was to see his friends one more time and thank them for all they had done for him. For one last time, he wanted to tell them that he loved them.

**Author's Note:**

> written for jily october 2014


End file.
